Social Studies: Early America, Lesson Four – Explorers
As you have learned, the motivations for the European explorers were
competition between nations, expansion of international trade, and technological
advances in shipbuilding and navigation. The accomplishments of these explorers
had a huge impact on America’s beginnings.
1) Leif Eriksson
Leif Eriksson was a Viking from Greenland who sailed the northern Atlantic
Ocean and settled briefly in North America, which he called Vinland. The Vikings
were not an easy group of people to get along with – they always wanted to go
to war! Because they never communicated with other countries, their discovery
of North America remained unknown to most Europeans for centuries to come.
2) Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus sailed for Spain looking for a new and faster route
to the Spice Islands. Columbus sailed west because the Portuguese controlled
the eastern route around Africa. Columbus and most people of his time had
begun to realize that the world was round, so he thought it was small enough
that he could reach the Far East by sailing west. Columbus did not reach his goal
to bring back the many riches from the Far East. Instead he discovered the lands
of the “West Indies” and all of its wealth. Spanish settlements began to appear
all over North and South America after his discovery.
3) Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition was the first to sail around the world.
Although Magellan died before the journey was complete, he claimed more lands
for Spain. His crew proved that sailing around the world could be achieved, but
at a great cost.
4) Hernando de Soto
Hernando de Soto was a Spanish conquistador who explored throughout
the southeastern United States and claimed this land for Spain. As a result,
Spanish explorers claimed Florida and the southwest region of what is today the
United States and called all of this land New Spain.
5) John Cabot
John Cabot sailed for England. Cabot was looking for a faster route to the
Indies known as the Northwest Passage. Cabot tried to copy Columbus by sailing
west, but hoped to be able to travel in the direction of northwest. The commonly
held belief of Northwest Passage, which would link the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans, continued to motivate other explorers even into the 1800s (Lewis and
Clark). The route would never be discovered, because such a route does not
exist. Cabot sailed near the Arctic Circle, but he had no success. He did however;
claim the lands he encountered for England.
6) Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson was an explorer who sailed for both the Netherlands and
England. In searching for the Northwest Passage, he instead claimed and
mapped what is now New York for the Dutch and lands in Canada for the
English. The Hudson River and Hudson Bay are named for him. The English
claimed the coast of North America based on the explorations of Cabot and
Social Studies: Early America, Lesson Four – Explorers
called this land Virginia and New England. The Dutch claimed the area around
the Hudson River and established New Netherlands and New Amsterdam in what
is today New York. The Dutch later gave up their colonial claims to the British,
leading to the 13 original colonies.
7) Robert LaSalle
Robert LaSalle explored for France. LaSalle explored the Mississippi River
to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico and named the area Louisiana, claiming it for
France. Consequently, the French explored the St. Lawrence River, the
headwaters and the length of the Mississippi River to what is now New Orleans
and claimed this land as New France.